India expresses concern over fading role of UN General Assembly

Dragging the Power: This image shows a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York. India on Friday expressed its concern over the Council's actions encroaching upon the agendas of the UN General Assembly.

Concerned over the UN Security Council encroaching upon the General Assembly’s agenda, India has said the balance between the world body’s principal organs must be “maintained and respected” and the centrality of the United Nations restored.

“There has been an increasing tendency to undermine the prerogatives and authority of the General Assembly by encroachment of its agenda by the Security Council,” Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s envoy to the UN told the UNGA.

At a special debate on ‘Revitalisation of the General Assembly’ at the UN headquarters here, Mr. Puri noted that the General Assembly should take a lead in setting the global agenda and restore the centrality of the UN.

“It is important that the balance between the principal organs of the United Nations, envisaged in the Charter, must be maintained and respected,” he added.

The Indian diplomat said India was particularly concerned with the Council’s encroachment on issues that have traditionally been within the Assembly’s agenda such as the process of standard-setting and codification of international law.

“Of concern also is the holding of thematic debates in the Security Council on issues that frequently fall within the purview of the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council,” he said.